Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada

Background Asthma surveys completed within the past 10 years in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region have shown significant underassessment of asthma severity in addition to undertreatment of asthma and have suggested the need to improve long-term asthma management. In this study, we examined th...

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Main Authors: Joaquin Sastre, Leonardo M. Fabbri, David Price, Hans Ulrich Wahn, Jean Bousquet, James E. Fish, Kevin Murphy, Malcolm R. Sears
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2016-01-01
Series:World Allergy Organization Journal
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193945511930170X
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author Joaquin Sastre
Leonardo M. Fabbri
David Price
Hans Ulrich Wahn
Jean Bousquet
James E. Fish
Kevin Murphy
Malcolm R. Sears
author_facet Joaquin Sastre
Leonardo M. Fabbri
David Price
Hans Ulrich Wahn
Jean Bousquet
James E. Fish
Kevin Murphy
Malcolm R. Sears
author_sort Joaquin Sastre
collection DOAJ
description Background Asthma surveys completed within the past 10 years in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region have shown significant underassessment of asthma severity in addition to undertreatment of asthma and have suggested the need to improve long-term asthma management. In this study, we examined the frequency of asthma symptoms and severe episodes, patients’ perceived asthma control, and use of asthma medications in Europe and Canada.Methods The Asthma Insight and Management survey (54 questions) was conducted in Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and Canada from June 14 through July 28, 2010. Telephone interviews were conducted with randomly screened patients or parents of adolescents (aged 12–17 years) with asthma; patients younger than 12 years of age were excluded from the survey. Responses were reported separately for each country and in total for all five countries.Results Seventy-five thousand three hundered thirty-five households were screened, and 2003 patients were interviewed. The survey respondents represented a wide range of severity. Overall, 26 % of patients reported symptoms daily or most days over the past 4 weeks, but most patients (81 %) perceived their asthma to be well or completely controlled. Over the past year, 41 % of patients had episodes of frequent/severe symptoms, and 50 % reported acute treatment (e.g. hospitalization, emergency visit, unscheduled physician visit) for asthma. Across countries, 52 % of patients reported taking controller medication every day over the past year, 27 % reported not taking any controller medication, and 14 % reported stopping controller treatment for 3 months or longer the last time they stopped. Many patients considered asthma well controlled if each year they had only two urgent doctor visits (50 %), three or four exacerbations (60 %), and/or one emergency room visit (41 %).Discussion This is the largest survey of patients with asthma in Europe and Canada in more than a decade.Conclusion In 2010, many surveyed patients in Europe and Canada reported features indicating uncontrolled asthma, yet the majority believed they were well controlled, indicating that they had low expectations of long-term asthma management. Use of controller medications was substantially less than recommended in treatment guidelines. Keywords: Asthma, Canada, Controller medications, Europe, Management, Survey, Symptoms
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spelling doaj.art-2f68a01ae06b4eae93bba1d3e6ec9b832022-12-22T02:51:22ZengElsevierWorld Allergy Organization Journal1939-45512016-01-019Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and CanadaJoaquin Sastre0Leonardo M. Fabbri1David Price2Hans Ulrich Wahn3Jean Bousquet4James E. Fish5Kevin Murphy6Malcolm R. Sears7Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Avenida Reyes Católicos 2, Madrid 28040, SpainDepartment of Oncology Haematology and Respiratory Disease, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Del Pozzo 71, Modena I-41124, ItalyDivision of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; Correspondence:Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Augustenburger Platz 1, Berlin 13353, GermanyService des Maladies Respiratoires, Hopital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier-Cedex 34059, FranceMerck & Co., Inc., 1526 Monticello Drive, Gladwyne, PA 19035, USABoystown National Research Hospital, 14080 Hospital Road, Boys Town, NE 68010, USAFirestone Institute for Respiratory Health, McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, ON L8N 4A6, CanadaBackground Asthma surveys completed within the past 10 years in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region have shown significant underassessment of asthma severity in addition to undertreatment of asthma and have suggested the need to improve long-term asthma management. In this study, we examined the frequency of asthma symptoms and severe episodes, patients’ perceived asthma control, and use of asthma medications in Europe and Canada.Methods The Asthma Insight and Management survey (54 questions) was conducted in Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and Canada from June 14 through July 28, 2010. Telephone interviews were conducted with randomly screened patients or parents of adolescents (aged 12–17 years) with asthma; patients younger than 12 years of age were excluded from the survey. Responses were reported separately for each country and in total for all five countries.Results Seventy-five thousand three hundered thirty-five households were screened, and 2003 patients were interviewed. The survey respondents represented a wide range of severity. Overall, 26 % of patients reported symptoms daily or most days over the past 4 weeks, but most patients (81 %) perceived their asthma to be well or completely controlled. Over the past year, 41 % of patients had episodes of frequent/severe symptoms, and 50 % reported acute treatment (e.g. hospitalization, emergency visit, unscheduled physician visit) for asthma. Across countries, 52 % of patients reported taking controller medication every day over the past year, 27 % reported not taking any controller medication, and 14 % reported stopping controller treatment for 3 months or longer the last time they stopped. Many patients considered asthma well controlled if each year they had only two urgent doctor visits (50 %), three or four exacerbations (60 %), and/or one emergency room visit (41 %).Discussion This is the largest survey of patients with asthma in Europe and Canada in more than a decade.Conclusion In 2010, many surveyed patients in Europe and Canada reported features indicating uncontrolled asthma, yet the majority believed they were well controlled, indicating that they had low expectations of long-term asthma management. Use of controller medications was substantially less than recommended in treatment guidelines. Keywords: Asthma, Canada, Controller medications, Europe, Management, Survey, Symptomshttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193945511930170X
spellingShingle Joaquin Sastre
Leonardo M. Fabbri
David Price
Hans Ulrich Wahn
Jean Bousquet
James E. Fish
Kevin Murphy
Malcolm R. Sears
Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
World Allergy Organization Journal
title Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
title_full Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
title_fullStr Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
title_full_unstemmed Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
title_short Insights, attitudes, and perceptions about asthma and its treatment: a multinational survey of patients from Europe and Canada
title_sort insights attitudes and perceptions about asthma and its treatment a multinational survey of patients from europe and canada
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193945511930170X
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